Category: 1st XV

OLD ALBANIAN 38 CANTERBURY 23

by David Haigh

This was a hugely disappointing performance from a Canterbury side that went into this game on the back of two convincing victories. After overturning an eleven point Albanian lead in the first half, discipline and focus deserted them and they lost to a team who scored six tries, were more assured and gave little away in defence. There were patches of good rugby from the city side but lack of ideas, handling errors and a failure of concentration raised serious questions about the way they approach their final three games of the season, all of them tough assignments. A Frank Reynolds penalty goal won an early lead but by the fifteenth minute they found themselves trailing. Albanian hooker Charlie Fleckney claimed two tries, both converted by Sam Jones, as the home side worked the phases for the first and exploited a catch and drive for the second. Canterbury’s response was to produce their best spell of the match before throwing all the good work away. Pressure built and points came from a second Reynolds penalty goal and his easy conversion when Alfie Orris finished off a series of close quarter drives. A knock on denied them another try but when Albanians Andrew Nurse was yellow carded Reynolds penalty nudged his side back into the lead. Faced with fourteen players it was a good time to strike again, but it was the hosts who did the damage. In a game littered with penalties Canterbury conceded two in quick succession which cost them tries. A clever lineout ploy left them flat footed as Haydn Barnes marched through a huge gap and back chat to the referee, a minute before half time, cost another seven points. Barnes, from a catch and drive, was the scorer again and Jones converted to make it 26-16 at the break. At the start of the second half the city side failed to come away with anything when camped on the Albanian line, kicked a ball out of their own scrum and conceded a fifth try. A missed tackle saw Nurse skate away for a score converted by Jones and it was back to playing catch up for Canterbury. They showed plenty of attacking intent but much of it was predictable and the home defence swallowed them up. Space was eventually made for Orris in the 66th minute and Reynolds kick from wide out was good. But a yellow card for Eoin O’Donohgue was another blow and Albanians finished their successful day with a late touchdown from Aaqil Attah. For Canterbury there were good contributions from Jesse De Vries and Cameron Murray but, as a team, they have plenty to reflect on if they are to retain their seventh place in National 2 East.

Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan, T.Best, A.Orris, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, E.Lusher, N/Morris, D.Herriott, S.Kerry, J.De Vries, C.Murray, E.O’Donoghue, J.Stephens, Replacements: C.Macmillan, B.Cooper, W.Hunt, B.Law, T.Mackenzie

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 41 NORTH WALSHAM VIKINGS 12

by David Haigh

A muscular afternoon from the Canterbury pack brought to an end a run of three defeats as the city side served up a dominant second half. Four of their six tries were scored by the forwards and it was the collective power of the scrum that won them the fifth through a penalty try. After a tight first half Vikings, the basement side of National 2 East, got a mauling as they struggled with Canterbury’s catch and drive and domination of the set pieces. They got an early warning eight minutes into the game when Nathan Morris, that serial finisher of the catch and drive, registered the first of his two tries and Frank Reynolds converted. Walsham, however, came into this match with the confidence of a good victory over Henley the previous week and were soon testing the Canterbury defence with their all out attacking style. They worked a good try for scrum half Connor Dudley after finding space on the right and continued to keep everyone in a black and amber shirt on their toes. Reynolds slotted a penalty goal to give his side a five point lead at the break but only after Vikings full back Benjy Hewitt had been held up over the line. On the resumption the momentum shifted dramatically to Canterbury as the forwards, in strong arm mood, needed only two minutes to send lock Shay Kerry over. Any lingering doubts about where this game was going were then put to rest as they scored twice in as many minutes. With the Vikings in full retreat a collapsed scrum cost them the penalty try and, next, a fine break by Number Eight Jamie Stephens was capped with an athletic finish from Jessie De Vries. On the hour mark the productive driving maul provided Morris with his fifteenth try of the season, leaving Reynolds to kick his third conversion. The backs finally got among the scorers seven minutes from the end as wing Garry Jones put in a strong effort at the corner and for the out-muscled Vikings came the consolation of a last minute touch down by Tawanda Kandemwa and a good conversion from Ross Magnus.

Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan, T.Best (repl B.Law), A.Orris, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance (repl B.Cooper), E.Lusher (repl D.Huntley), N.Morris (repl T.Mackenzie), D.Herriott, S.Kerry, J.De Vries, C.Murray (rep A.Evans), E.O’Donoghue, J.Stephens.

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

WESTCOMBE PARK 27 CANTERBURY 14

by David Haigh

A dominant second half from ‘Combe settled this Kent derby as an error prone Canterbury failed live up to their early promise. Their nine point half time lead vanished in a rising count of mistakes and turnovers as the hosts picked them off with three unanswered tries. The city side went into the game weakened by injuries and ‘Combe were able to target key areas to telling effect after the break, but that was no excuse for the drop off in judgment and physicality. That poor forty minutes was in direct contrast to the team who controlled much of the first half. Their early attacks brought a yellow card for ‘Combe’s Sam Fombo and an immediate catch and drive try by Nathan Morris. That score was countered by an unconverted try from ‘Combe’s Taine Wagstaff but it was the city side who were playing with greater confidence and they marked it with anther classy seven points. Swift handling and a delayed pass opened the gap for Eoin O’Donoghue to score between the posts and Frank Reynolds’ second conversion was easy. Further points proved more elusive as Canterbury failed to capitalise on close quarter mauls and opted to ignore kickable penalty chances, but at the end of the half they could look back on a decent body of work. When they came out for the second half, however, their memory failed them. A yellow card for replacement Alfie Orris gave ‘Combe their first chance through a catch drive try for Harry Hudson, converted by Nathan Wyman and they never looked back. Winning all the important clashes and seizing on a now muted Canterbury’s errors they were gifted a third try, scored by Mark Muhamman courtesy of some weak defending. Stripped of possession the city side were a shadow of their earlier selves. Wyman’s conversion and a 71st minute penalty goal moved his side eight points ahead and a lost lineout helped ‘Combe to claim a bonus point from the last play of the game through wing Joe Ratcliff’s try.

Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan, T.Best, B.Law, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, E.Lusher, N.Morris, D.Herriott, J.Stephens, C.Murray, T.Mackenzie, E.O’Donoghue, A.Evans. Replacements: T.Williams, W.Hunt, A.Orris, H.Furneaux, A.Malik.

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Images may be subject to copyright 0 Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 20 BARNES 29

by David Haigh

After the previous week’s woes this was a better performance from Canterbury but not quite good enough to unseat the title chasing visitors. Approaching the final quarter with a five point lead the city side seemed handily placed but it was Barnes who took took control, added two tries to secure their bonus point and effectively shut down the game. It was a disappointment after solid first half defence restricted Barnes to a Kyle Beattie penalty goal and a catch and drive try from Cameron Ruddock. Try scoring chances were sparse as both sides were guilty of poor ball retention but a Frank Reynolds penalty goal got Canterbury on the scoreboard and with wind and slope to help them after the break the odds on a win were shortened. They started to look a decent bet as Reynolds punished a scrum offence with his second penalty and only five minutes into the half added the conversion to Ben Cooper’s try to take his side in front for the first time. Number Eight Tyler Oliver made the break and gave his scrum half the scoring opportunity. It was Barnes power at the maul that edged them back in front six minutes later as Matt Humphreys claimed their second catch and drive touchdown, converted by Beattie, but Canterbury were quick to counter. Quick hands opened up the left channel for Frank Morgan’s try and a touchline conversion from Reynolds was more good news. But that was the last we saw of Canterbury as an attacking force, apart from the odd break from much too deep. Barnes brought shrewd game management to their play, denied the city side any decent field position and their strengths produced tries for wings Jacques Birch and Paul Webb. Both scores had their origins in that effective maul. They opted to release and spread the attack wide for Birch’s try and scrum half Josh Davies sniped off the back of another close quarter drive to send Webb cruising over. Beattie nailed both conversions to guarantee Canterbury were denied even a losing bonus point.

Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan (repl W.Hilton), T.Best, B.Law, F.Reynolds, B.Cooper (repl P.Farrance), E.Lusher, E.O’Donoghue (repl N.Morris), D.Herriott (repl D.Huntley), J.De Vries, J.Stephens, A.Evans (repl T.Mackenzie), C.Murray, T.Oliver

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton